Staple puller for textile fibers



1955 R. E. MOKENNA ET AL. 2,700,187

STAPLE FULLER FOR TEXTILE FIBERS Filed Aug. 16, 1951 HAL/PH E. Make/WA 1Jose ALPHon/so l mnem E f Z BY d ATTORNEY5 Jan. 25, 1955 R, E. MCKENNAET AL 2,700,187

STAPLE FULLER FOR TEXTILE FIBERS Filed Aug. 16, T95] 4 Sheets-Sheet 2Jas ALP/Iowan HERREKA ATTORNEYS Jan. 25, 1955 R. E. MGKENNA ET AL2,700,187

STAPLE PULLERVFOR TEXTILE FIBERS Filed Aug. 16, 1951 4 SheetS -Sheet s V22 2s 22 ii .H m J M 17 I7 I s 50 INVENTOR F4 50 Raw 5. MWENNA f6 zJosefl Fouso i k/ REM BY d ATTORNEYS Jan. 25, 1955 R, E. MOKENNA ET AL,2,700,187

STAPLE FULLER FOR TEXTILE FIBERS Filed Aug. 16, 1951 4 Sheets-Sheet 4INVENTORS RALPH 5. Ma Ken/NA Jo 5E {Jul/M50 l/E/MERA QMQW ATTORNEYS meian i. Puritan son TEXTILE FIBERS Ralph E. Moist.

and Jios Alfonso Herrera, Queretaro,

Qrm, Mexico This invention relates to drafting machinery for textilefibers and more especially to an improved staple puller, the primaryobject of which is to provide means for Etttenuating or separatingtextile fibers in web or sliver orm.

In the course of preparation of certain textile fibers, such as wool andthe like, for blending the same with other types of textile fibers, suchas synthetic fibers, the wool is usually prepared in sliver or web formafter which it is necessary to prepare the fibers in each sliver or webin relatively short len ths prior to blending these wool fibers withother fibers such as synthetic fibers as is well known to those familiarwith the art. However, in order to prepare the relatively short lengthsof groups of fibers from the fibers as previously prepared in web orsliver form, it has heretofore been necessary to cut various lengthsfrom the previously formed web or sliver thus resulting in a.substantial reduction in the length of staple f many of the fibers,particularly at the points at which the fibers have been severed. Thishas resulted in a considerable waste in subsequent carding and spinningprocesses.

An object of this invention is to overcome such defects by providing astaple puller comprising a frame provided with a first pair of rolls,preferably fluted, and one of the rolls being urged under springpressure towards the other of the rolls, through which fibers in sliveror web form are directed and having means for intermittently impartingrotation to the first pair of rolls. A second pair of rolls is spaced apredetermined distance apart from the first pair of rolls and the rollsin this second pair of rolls may also be fluted and provided withsuitable spring means for urging one of the rolls into engagement withthe other. The sliver or web of the fibers passes from between the firstpair of rolls, between the second pair of rolls to be discharged fromthe machine. The first pair of rolls are driven intermittently and thesecond pair of rolls are driven constantly at a substantially greaterspeed than the first pair of rolls to thus cause the fibers to beattenuated as they pass between the rolls and to also intermittentlypull the fibers apart into relatively short lengths of sliver due to theintermittency of rotation of the first pair of rolls.

It is another object of this invention to provide a device of the typedescribed wherein one or more slivers of fibers may be introduced to apair of intermittently driven fluted rolls and then passed between apair of constantly driven fluted rolls whereby the sliver will beattenuated and pulled apart into small lengths for further processingwithout cutting any of the fibers in said sliver.

Some of the objects of the invention having been stated, other objectswill appear as the description proceeds when taken in connection withthe accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a side elevation of theimproved staple puller showing the same mounted on a table andillustrating the manner in which the fibers in web or sliver form arepassed through the machine;

Figure 2 is an enlarged elevation of the upper lefthand portion ofFigure 1 and showing the manner in which the upper and lower flutedrolls are driven;

Figure 3 is a side elevation of the opposite side of the machine fromthat shown in Figure 2;

Figure 4 is a top plan view of the improved staple puller looking downon the top of Figure 3;

Figure 5 is a vertical sectional view through the im- Cir proved staplepuller taken along the line 5-5 inFigure 4 Patented Jan. 25, l 955 iceand showing the manner in which the upper and lower fluted rollsintermesh to pull the fibers therebetween;

Figure 6 is an end elevation of the machine looking at the right-handend of Figure 3 and illustrating the sliver guide;

Figure 7 is an enlarged end elevation of the staple puller looking atthe left-hand end of Figure 3.

Referring more specifically to the drawings, the numeral 10 indicates asuitable table or stand adapted to support the staple puller and it willbe observed that this table or stand should be sufiiciently high toaccommodate a can thereunder so that a plurality of fibers in sliverform indicated at S may be taken from a can such as the can C1 andprocessed through the machine, in a manner to be described, and theseparated portions of the sliver which have been pulled apart by thestaple puller may then fall through a suitable opening 11 in the table10 into another can such as the can C2 disposed underneath the table ItIf desired, any suitable means may be used for introducing the sliver tothe machine and containing the portions thereof after processing.

A vertically disposed main frame member 15 has a lower horizontal flangeportion 16 thereof suitably secured to the upper surface of the table 10by any suitable means, such as bolts 17, and this main frame 15 may beadditionally supported by a flange portion 13, if desired. Upper andlower, horizontally disposed, U-shaped frame members 241 and 21,respectively, are suitably secured at the closed ends thereof to themain frame member 15, as by bolts 22, it being observed in Figure 6 thatthe main frame member 15 is provided with a plurality of verticallyextending slots 23 to permit vertical adjustment of the Ushaped framemembers 226 and 21 relative to each other.

The U-shaped frame members 20 and 21 are of substantially identicalconstruction and may be formed of two or more sections if desired. TheU-shaped frame members extend in a horizontal plane in cantileveredrelation to the main frame 15 and are spaced vertically from each otherand these U-shaped frame members 20 and 21 carry the fluted rolls forattenuating and pulling apart the sliver.

The upper U-shaped frame member 20 has horizontally extending legportions Zfia and 20b, each being provided with an anti-friction bearing23 spaced from the free end thereof in which the opposed ends of a firstupper roll 24 are journaled and secured therein as by a hub portion 25.The upper roll 24 is preferably fluted or otherwise roughened tofrictionally engage the sliver and spans the entire distance between thelegs 20a and 20b of the upper frame member 20. The free ends of the legs20a and 2011 are each provided with an opening 26. Longitudinallyextending guide projections 27 and 28 are formed in the legs 26a and20!) at the upper and lower edges of the opening 26 and a bearing block39 having grooves, not shown, in its upper and lower edges is slidablymounted on the guide projections 27 and 28.

The bearing blocks 30 have the opposed end portions of a second upperroll 33 suitably journaled therein and confined as by a hub portion 34.The roll 33 is also preferably fluted. The bearing blocks 3% carryingthe roll 33 are urged toward the roll 24 by means of com pressionsprings 35 positioned between the bearing blocks 30 and retainingmembers 36 secured on the free ends of the legs Zita and 20b as byscrews 37 and serving to close the openings 26. It will thus be observedthat the compression springs 35 normally urge the roll 33 toward theroll 24 so that fibers passing therebetween will be frictionally engagedthereby and will be pulled between the rolls 33 and 24 as the rolls aredriven in a manner to be described.

The lower U-shaped frame member 21 is substantially identical to theupper member 2t? and is also provided with leg portions 21a and 21b. Theleg portions 21a and 21b have suitable anti-friction hearings to mountedthere in spaced from the free ends thereof and in substantially verticalalinernent with the bearings 23. The bearings 40 have the opposed endportions of a first lower roll 42 journaled therein and confined thereinas by a hub portion 43. The first lower roli 42 spans the distancebetween the leg portions 21:; and 21b of the frame member 21 and is alsopreferably fluted. The free end portions of the leg portions 21a and 21beach have an opening 45 similar to the openings 26 in the leg portions aand 28b and guide projections 46 and 47 are formed at the upper andlower edges of the opening and a bearing block 48 having grooves, notshown, in the upper and lower edges thereof is slidably mounted on theprojections 46 and 47 in each of the openings 45 and urged toward thefirst lower roll 42 as by compression springs 48. The compressionsprings 48 are confined in the openings 45 as by a retaining member 49suitably secured to the free ends of the legs 21a and 21b as by screws50 and serving to close the openings 45.

Each of the bearing blocks 48 is provided with an antifriction bearing51 in which the opposed end portions of the second lower roll 53 arejournaled and confined therein as by a hub portion 54. It will thus beobserved that the compression springs 48 normally urge the second lowerroll 53, which is preferably fluted, toward the first lower roll 42.

Now, fiber is introduced to the upper and lower rolls just described bymeans of a suitable chute 55 mounted on the uppermost edge of the mainframe 15 as by brackets 56 and screws 57 and if it is desired to combinea plurality of slivers, a sliver guide 61 may be suitably secured to themain frame 15 as by the bolts 22 which secure the U-shaped frame member20 to the main frame 15. The sliver guide 61 is preferably formed ofwire bent into a plurality of guide portions 63 adapted to direct theplurality of slivers into the chute 55 so that the slivers will emergefrom the right-hand end of the chute 55 in Figure 1 and they will thenpass between the upper fluted rolls 24 and 33 and then downwardlybetween the lower fluted rolls 42 and 53.

Now, in order to drive the upper and lower rolls for attenuating thesliver and pulling apart the fibers thereof into relatively shortlengths, a suitable motor 65 is mounted on the table 10 and which isprovided with a shaft 66 having a pulley 67 thereon about which belts 68are positioned which extend to the left in Figure l and over a maindrive pulley 70 fixedly mounted on a shaft 71 which is rotatably mountedin a housing 72 secured to the main frame member 15 as at 73 and havingsuitable bearings, not shown, therein. The housing 72 extendstransversely of the machine and the end of the shaft 71 opposed from themain drive pulley 70 has a beveled gear 74 fixedly mounted thereon whichmeshes with a beveled gear 75 fixedly mounted on a longitudinallyextending shaft 76 rotatably mounted in a sleeve 77 which has a suitablegasket, not shown, therein and acts as a bushing for the shaft 76. Thesleeve bushing 77 is suitably mounted in a bracket 78 secured to theU-shaped frame member 20 and in a bracket 79 secured to the main frame15, as by bolts 79a.

The end of the shaft 76 opposed from the beveled gear 75 is providedwith a worm S0 fixed thereon as by a pin 81 and provided with doubleworm teeth 82 and 83. The Worm teeth 82 and 83 mesh with a worm gear 84fixedly mounted on the end of the roll 24. It will be noted that theteeth on the worm gear 84 are spaced a relatively large distance apartfrom each other and the spacing of the double worm teeth 82 and 83 issuch as to cause intermittent rotation of the worm gear 84 upon constantrotation of the shaft 76.

The roll 24 is also provided with a gear 85 fixed thereon adjacent oneend thereof and spaced from the spur gear 84 and which gear 85 mesheswith a gear 86 fixed on one end of the roll 33 for driving the roll 33at the same speed of rotation as the roll 24, it having heretofore beendescribed how the roll 33 is urged into engagement with the roll 24 bymeans of the compression springs 35 which also serve to keep the gears85 and 86 in mesh during normal operation.

The shaft 71 is also provided with a gear 90 thereon adjacent thebeveled gear 74 and which meshes with a lower roll drive gear 91 fixedlymounted on a stub shaft 93 rotatably mounted in a suitable bushing 92suitably secured to the main frame 15. The lower roll drive gear 91 alsomeshes with an idler gear 94 rotatably mounted on a stud 95 suitablymounted in the leg 21a of the lower U-shaped frame member 21. The idlergear 94 meshes with a gear 96 fixedly mounted on one end of the firstlower roll 42 for driving the roll 42 at a constant rate of rotation.One end of the roll 53 is also provided with a gear 97 fixed thereonwhich meshes with the gear 96 for fit driving the same at the same rateof rotation as the roll 42, it having heretofore been described, how theroll 42 is urged into engagement with the roll 53 by means ofcompression springs 50 which also serve to cause the gears 96 and 97 tomesh during normal operation.

it will be observed that by the means just described, the upper rolls 24and 33 are driven at a relatively low rate of rotation and are drivenintermittently while the lower rolls are driven at a substantiallyhigher rate of rotation and are driven constantly. It will thus beobserved that the fibers in the sliver S moving between the upper flutedrolls 24 and 33 and between the lower fluted rolls 42 and 53 will beattenuated while both the upper and lower rolls are rotating due to thefact that the lower rolls are rotating at a higher speed than the upperrolls. When the upper rolls intermittently stop rotating, the sliverwill be pulled apart in separate pieces of relatively short lengths dueto the fact that the lower rolls Will continue to rotate at a relativelyhigh speed. These relatively short lengths of sliver will fall into acan such as can C2 and may then be removed by an operator for blendingwith other fibers such as synthetic fibers in any conventional or othermanner.

In running fibers between fluted rolls such as in the present invention,it occasionally happens that the fibers will cling to one of the flutedrolls 42 or 53 and will be wound thereabout or lapped-up thereon whichwill cause the lower fluted roll 53 to move apart from the lower flutedroll 42 against the springs 48 and it is obvious that the apparatuscannot operate properly under such a condition. In order to cause theapparatus to automatically stop in such an event there are provided stopmotion switches 100 and 101 secured to the retaining members 49 on theends of the legs 21a and 2111, respectively, of the lower U-shaped framemember 21. The switches 100 and 101 are identical and are each providedwith a spring pressed plunger or switch button 102 which extends throughthe retaining member 49 and is engaged by the sliding block 48 upon theblock 48 moving to the left in Figure 3. The switches 100 and 101 arenormally held in closed position and it will be observed in Figure 3,that upon the sliver lapping-up upon the lower rolls 42 or 53, thesliding block 48 will move to the left in Figure 3 moving one or both ofthe pins 102 inwardly to thus open the switch 100 or 101 to break thecircuit to the motor 65 to automatically stop the machine, the switches188 and 101 being disposed in series with the motor 65.

The motor 65 is provided with a wire 105 which leads to a suitablesource of electrical energy, not shown, and another wire 106 which leadsto one pole of a main switch 107. A wire 108 extends from the other poleof the main switch 107 to one side of the stop motion switch 10%). Awire 110 leads from the other side of the stop motion switch 100 and maybe suitably secured along the upper edge of the frame member 21 andextends to one side of the stop motion switch 101. A wire 1111 leadsfrom the other side of the stop motion switch 101 to the other side ofthe source of electrical energy, not shown.

is thus seen that there is provided a staple puller comprising a framehaving a pair of top rolls which are driven intermittently and a pair ofbottom rolls which are constantly driven whereby fiber may be passedbetween the upper and lower rolls and may be attenuated due to the lowerrolls being driven at a higher rate of speed than the upper rolls andmay be pulled apart into relatively short pieces due to the intermittentrotation of the upper rolls. This prepares the fiber for blending withother fibers without the necessity of cutting the same and thusdestroying the length of some of the fibers.

In the drawings and specification, there has been set forth a preferredembodiment of the invention and although specific terms are employed,they are used in a generic and descriptive sense only and not forpurposes of limitation, the scope of the invention being defined in theclaims.

We claim:

1. An improved staple puller comprising a main frame member, an upperU-shaped frame member secured to said main frame member, a lowerU-shaped frame member secured to said main frame member in spacedrelation to said upper U-shaped frame member, a main drive shaft mountedon said main frame member, a pulley on said main drive shaft, a motor,means connecting the motor'to'said pulley driving said main shaft, saidupper Ushaped frame member having a first upper fluted roll journaledtherein, a worm gear mounted on one end of the first upper fluted roll,a shaft rotatably mounted on said upper U-shaped frame member and havinga worm on one end thereof adapted to mesh with said worm gear, the otherend of said shaft having a beveled gear thereon, said main shaft havinga beveled gear adapted to mesh with said last-named beveled gear fordriving said worm, said worm having a double thread thereon to causeintermittent rotation of said worm gear and its associated first upperfluted roll, said upper U-shaped frame member having a second upperfluted roll rotatably mounted therein and driven by the first upperfluted roll, said lower U- shaped frame member having a first lowerfluted roll therein, a main drive gear rotatably mounted in said mainframe, said main drive shaft also having a gear thereon meshing withsaid main drive gear, said first lower fluted roll having a gearthereon, an idler gear mounted in said lower U-shaped frame member andmeshing with said main drive gear and the gear on said first lowerfluted roll for imparting constant rotation to the first lower flutedroll, a second lower fluted roll to tata'bly mounted in said lowerU-shaped frame member and driven by said first lower fluted roll, achute, and means for introducing fibers to said chute, said chutedirecting said fibers between the intermittently driven upper flutedrolls and between the constantly driven lower fluted rolls whereby saidfibers will be pulled apart into the desired lengths.

2. An improved staple puller comprising a main frame member, an upperframe secured to said main frame member, a lower frame secured to saidmain frame member in spaced relation to said upper frame, a main driveshaft mounted on said main frame member, a pulley on said main driveshaft, a motor, means connecting the motor to said pulley driving saidmain shaft, said upper frame having a first upper fluted roll journaledtherein, a worm gear mounted on one end of the first upper fluted roll,a shaft rotatably mounted on said upper frame and having a worm on oneend thereof adapted to mesh with said worm gear, the other end of saidshaft having a beveled gear thereon, said main shaft having a beveledgear adapted to mesh with said last-named beveled gear for driving saidworm, said worm having a double thread thereon to cause intermittentrotation of said worm gear and its associated first upper fluted roll,said upper frame having a second upper fluted roll rotatably mountedtherein and driven by the first upper fluted roll, said lower framehaving a first lower fluted roll therein, a main drive gear rotatablymounted in said main frame member, said main drive shaft also having agear thereon meshing with said main drive gear, said first lower flutedroll having a gear thereon, an idler gear mounted in said lower frameand meshing with said main drive gear and the gear on said first lowerfluted roll for imparting constant rotation to the first lower flutedroll, a second lower fluted roll rotatably mounted in said lower frameand driven by said first lower fluted roll, a chute, and means forintroducing fibers to said chute, said chute directing said fibersbetween the intermittently driven upper fluted rolls and between theconstantly driven lower fluted rolls whereby said fibers will be pulledapart into the desired lengths.

3. An improved staple puller comprising a frame, first and second u'pperfeed rolls journaled on said frame, first and second lowerstaple-pulling rolls journaled on said frame and spaced beneath therespective first and second upper feed rolls, a first main drive shaftjournaled on the frame, means to drive said first shaft, a worm gearmounted on one end of the first upper feed roll, a second shaftjournaled on said frame and having a worm on one end thereof adapted tomesh with said worm gear, gear means for transmitting rotation from thefirst shaft to the second shaft for driving said worm, said worm havinga double thread thereon to cause intermittent rotation of said wormgear, its associated first upper feed roll and, thence, to the secondupper feed roll, a main drive gear rot-atably mounted on said frame,said main drive shaft also having a gear thereon meshing with said maindrive gear, a gear on said first lower roll, an idler gear mounted insaid frame and meshing with said main drive gear and said gear on thefirst lower roll for imparting constant rotation to the first lower rolland, thence, to the second lower roll, and means for directing fibers toand between said intermittently driven upper feed rolls, whereby thefibers move, by gravity, between the constantly driven lower rolls andare thereby pulled apart into desired lengths.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS1,322,695 Howorth Nov. 25, 1919 1,434,917 Sew-all et a1. Nov. 7, 19221,635,693 Scott July 12, 1927 1,675,916 Stewart July 3, 1928 2,576,068Ganz Nov. 20, 1951 2,598,086 Von Kohorn May 27, 1952

